If you’re new to backpacking or on a tight budget, you’re in luck. Unlike gas and groceries, packs seem to be getting cheaper. We scoured the market for comfortable, durable packs that hold a long weekend’s worth of gear and cost less than $150. Our testers hit the wilds from Vermont to California and narrowed a field of 20 contenders down to these top six.

Most ComfortableVaude Astra 55+10
Every tester achieved a perfect fit with the Astra, thanks to six inches of torso adjustability. And dense padding in the hips, lumbar, and shoulder areas minimized typical long-day soreness. Two contoured aluminum stays transfer weight efficiently to the cushy hipbelt, and the suspension flexes laterally with your stride, which helps reduce rubbing. Testers carried up to 45 pounds without complaint. The back panel vented well, even in Costa Rica’s tropical humidity. On a rain-drenched hike in Washington’s San Juan Islands, one tester deployed the built-in raincover and said, “Without even taking the pack off, I could unzip the cover and pull it up.” Expandable side pockets are big enough for liter bottles (though tight if the pack is stuffed). The top lid converts to a lumbar pack, with a fabric panel that holds gear tightly in place for maximum stability. The packbag’s polyurethane-coated Cordura is exceptionally durable. Minor complaint: The top lid zipper is too short. Reader Service #101

Best prize ever: You could win ALL 13 of our 2015 Editors' Choice Award-winning products. That includes an Osprey Packs, a NEMO Equipment sleeping bag, a Big Agnes tent, a Sea to Summit - Outdoor Gear X-Pot, La Sportiva shoes, and a Snow Peak stove. And we still have 7 more products to announce next week! Enter early and often! http://goo.gl/RGcG4o #EC2015

#EC2015 Gold award alert: When the Snow Peak GigaPower stove came out in 1999, we gave it an Editors' Choice award. All this time later, it's still tiny, powerful, and affordable, and get this: it costs even less. See why it's our latest #EC2015 winner.
Read the review: http://bit.ly/1DAHv8A
Watch video: http://bit.ly/1LSXHWx
Enter to win one, along with the rest of this year's EC gear: http://goo.gl/RGcG4o